US Marines moved into the southern Iraqi town of Shatrah today to recover the body of a dead comrade which had been hanged in the town square, officers said.

Hundreds of troops were dispatched on the operation after intelligence reports indicated the body of a dead American, who was killed in a firefight last week, had been paraded through the streets and hanged in public.

"We would like to retrieve the body of the marine but it is not our sole purpose," said Lieutenant-Colonel Pete Owen, of the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

Military sources said another part of the operation was to arm local militias to fight against members of the ruling Baath party loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Shatrah is some 40 km north of Nasiriyah, where Iraqi forces have been harassing US supply lines and putting up tough resistance for more than a week.

Well... What rules are there? Is the DAMN U.S still fighting a PC war? I am telling you this is got to stop. Get the damn "BIG ONE" and finish this bastard off. Let nothing live in IRAQ for 50 years. I can handle that. Get the game over with .!!!-

7
posted on 03/31/2003 5:55:26 PM PST
by ruready4eternity
( Muslims have perfected an new form of psychological warfare. The Palestinians were first)

Honestly , They all want to die for ALLAH akbar- so why dont we just give them an early EXIT. Drop tha damn BIG ONE one with the MUSHROOM- and let nothing live for 50 yrs. They would gladly die for their religion so... lets help them - they wont disagree with it.

15
posted on 03/31/2003 5:59:42 PM PST
by ruready4eternity
( Muslims have perfected an new form of psychological warfare. The Palestinians were first)

Death of captured Marine confirmed

WITH THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION, IRAQ - A U.S. Marine captured and supposedly strung up in the middle of the town of Shatrah is dead, military officials in Iraq confirmed yesterday.

Officials also said initial reports were wrong: The Marine was not strung up, though his body was left in view of townsfolk.

The Marine was captured Friday during an attack on a 200-vehicle convoy that was passing through Shatrah on Route 7, on its way north.

"What we can confirm is that some villagers tried to help him - they didn't know if he was alive or dead - and they may even have tried to get him to a hospital," said Maj. Dave Holahan, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.

"But the Republican Guard, or death squads, took him away from the villagers and dumped him on the street. They didn't string him up, as previously stated, they just dumped him in the street."

Military officials are withholding the Marine's name until his family can be notified of his death.

The Marine was part of an air-wing support squadron making its way north late at night when it was hit by rocket-propelled grenades and machine-gun fire.

The attack turned over a 7-ton truck, and when members of the convoy repelled the attack and got back on the road, they noticed the Marine was missing.

The attack is an example of the kind of war Marines are fighting as they drive toward Baghdad.

They have yet to face large units of the Iraqi army but are instead being harassed by small-scale attacks in many of the towns they pass through.

Officials said the attacks are being carried out by local militia being forced to fight by local representatives of the Republican Guard.

"The villagers are torn," Holahan said.

"They're glad we're here, but as long as the death squads are around, they can't do anything or say anything. That's why we have to stay in the south and kick some ass."

If a person was going to try to think of a way to piss-off a bunch of marines; I think this action just very well might do it. Now, what do they think they will get from a bunch of pissed-off marines? May god comfort the family of this brave dead soldier.

24
posted on 03/31/2003 6:04:14 PM PST
by Hanging Chad
(not to be confused with "Hanging Ten" or "Hanging Wallpaper"...)

Howlin there are no RULEs, the U.S is playing by the DAMN UN playbook who turned their back on us, and Iraq is getting a way with it, either way, this may be the last war the U.S gets away not going the Un way. Becuase the next nation thats gonna get whacked, that may be an all out WAR. Get out of the UN they are destroying the U.S and thats their intent. TO play by their rules and laws.

25
posted on 03/31/2003 6:05:23 PM PST
by ruready4eternity
( Muslims have perfected an new form of psychological warfare. The Palestinians were first)

"Howlin there are no RULEs, the U.S is playing by the DAMN UN playbook who turned their back on us, and Iraq is getting a way with it,"

So if you're saying that we should just toss out Rules of Engagement and forget not being careful to shoot ONLY the bad guys, wouldn't that make us just as horrible as the regime we're trying to liberate the people from? SOunds a little counter productive to what we're trying to accomplish over there doesn't it?

38
posted on 03/31/2003 6:15:04 PM PST
by txradioguy
(HOOAH! Not just a word, A way of life!)

Puh-lease. That's as stupid as those who call such acts "brutal". Brutes don't engage in such acts. Humans are the sole authors of their own evil. And it's the mark of sinful humans to place the blame outside themselves.

Well how much is enough? How much more are we gonna stand back and let this happen. Remember this is the biggest war ever. Not one in all history is carry some enourmous implications as this one is today. The WHole WOrld besides 49 nations or so is agaisnt the U.S This is a PC war and cant be won that way. THe way is to bomb the hellout of Saddam. Get the innocent out of the way if we can , becuase right now, everyone cant be trusted in that region. If I were a soldier right now, with all respect , My adrenelin would be pumping, id be shitting bricks, I may lose my mind and shoot all :incoming enemy" Im sorry. This cannot be won PC way. Bring out the big one, sorry u dissagree

50
posted on 03/31/2003 6:20:40 PM PST
by ruready4eternity
( Muslims have perfected an new form of psychological warfare. The Palestinians were first)

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